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	<title>Learn Photography Tips Blog &#187; 550d</title>
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	<link>http://www.learningthelight.com</link>
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		<title>How To Take Black And White Photos With The Canon Rebel T2i</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/02/08/how-to-take-black-and-white-photos-with-canon-rebel-t2i/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/02/08/how-to-take-black-and-white-photos-with-canon-rebel-t2i/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:00:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How To...]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photography Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[550d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[black and white]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how to...]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t2i]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=1168</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s always interesting to look at the Google Analytics data for this website, seeing how many visitors the site is getting, which websites they are coming from, whether this is their first visit or if they&#8217;re a regular &#8211; that kind of thing. But what I haven&#8217;t been paying too much attention to &#8211; until [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s always interesting to look at the Google Analytics data for this website, seeing how many visitors the site is getting, which websites they are coming from, whether this is their first visit or if they&#8217;re a regular &#8211; that kind of thing.</p>
<p>But what I haven&#8217;t been paying too much attention to &#8211; <em>until now</em> &#8211; is looking at what keyphrases people are putting into Google to find my site. It&#8217;s amazing the variety of words and phrases people use when searching for information about photography &#8211; in January 2010 there were 2,409 <em>different keyphrases</em> entered into Google, that resulted in people finding this site.</p>
<div id="attachment_1170" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 410px"><img class="size-full wp-image-1170" title="black-and-white-t2i-portrait" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/black-and-white-t2i-portrait.jpg" alt="Black and white Canon T2i portrait" width="400" height="548" /><p class="wp-caption-text">It&#39;s really easy to take black and white shots like this one of my wife</p></div>
<p>So, I&#8217;m going to start looking at these keyphrases more and more, as it will help me to see just what kind of information people are looking for. One of the most common keyphrases people have used is &#8220;how to take black and white photos with canon rebel t2i&#8221;, so I thought I&#8217;d address that issue here. (By the way, Google was pointing people towards my <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/05/03/15-great-photos-shot-with-a-canon-rebel-t2i-550-and-how-they-were-taken/" target="_blank">15 Great Photos Shot With A Canon Rebel T2i / 550D (And How They Were Taken)</a> feature, but that didn&#8217;t really explain in detail how to take black and white shots, so I will explain below).</p>
<p><strong>It&#8217;s very important</strong> to let you know that, although you can take black and white photos with your T2i / 550D right away, without having to do any post-processing in software like Photoshop, if you shoot this way, then you will <em>never be able to regain the colour</em> from those shots.</p>
<p>So, although I&#8217;ll let you know how to take black and white photos &#8216;in-camera&#8217;, my advice would be to take a photo as normal, and then make it black and white in post-processing &#8211; that way you always have the option of going back to the original shot&#8217;s colour if the black and white version doesn&#8217;t look too good.</p>
<p>But, if you&#8217;re intent on wanting a b&amp;w photo straight away, then simply:</p>
<p>* Press the <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1173" title="picture-styles-button" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/picture-styles-button.gif" alt="Picture Style Buttton" width="35" height="20" /> button, which is the &#8216;down arrow&#8217; button on the back of the T2i / 550D</p>
<p><a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/picture-styles-back.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1176" title="picture-styles-back" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/picture-styles-back.jpg" alt="picture styles back t2i" width="250" height="176" /></a><br />
* You&#8217;ll see the above shot  &#8211; just navigate to the &#8216;M&#8217; setting (for Monochrome)<br />
* Press the &lt;SET&gt; button<br />
* And you&#8217;re away! How easy was that? Though, as I mentioned before, I really do recommend not shoorting in this mode, as you can easily turn things into black and white in post-processing anyway, without discarding the colour info forever.</p>
<p>If you found this small guide handy, then you may be interested in our <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/07/19/canon-eos-rebel-t2i-550d-digital-field-guide-review/" target="_blank">T2i Digital Field Guide review</a>, which is a great book for learning all about the T2i.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 Review</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/01/06/canon-ef-s-55-250mm-f4-5-6-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/01/06/canon-ef-s-55-250mm-f4-5-6-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:26:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gear Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[500d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[550d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aperture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EF-S 55 - 250 mm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[telephoto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wedding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zoom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=1081</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I bought my Canon DSLR, nearly a year ago now, I absolutely loved it (and still do!), but, after a week or so, I found myself a little frustrated at the lack of focal range with the supplied kit lens &#8211; the Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens f/3.5-5.6. That lens is all well and good, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When I bought my Canon DSLR, nearly a year ago now, I absolutely loved it (and still do!), but, after a week or so, I found myself a little frustrated at the lack of focal range with the supplied kit lens &#8211; the Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens f/3.5-5.6. That lens is all well and good, and can take some mighty fine photos, but I felt that I wanted to take some more &#8216;close up&#8217; shots, to get nearer to my photographic subjects. So, I started to research into affordable telephoto zoom lenses, and went for the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6, which you can see a pic of below:</p>
<div id="attachment_1082" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 361px"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pete92009/4738644475/"><img class="size-full wp-image-1082  " title="55-250" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/55-250.jpg" alt="" width="351" height="500" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 (photo by pete92009 on Flickr)</p></div>
<p>As my kit lens already went up to 55mm, the 55 &#8211; 250 seemed the perfect counterpart &#8211; meaning that with both lenses, I could cover a range of 18  &#8211; 250, which is a fantastic range! The Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 is also very good value for such a long telephoto zoom, at around $220 / £150 (you can buy it at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011NVMO8?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B0011NVMO8" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000V9D5LG?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000V9D5LG" target="_blank">UK</a>).</p>
<p>There are lots of reviews of this lens on the &#8216;net, many going into extraordinarily specific and detailed technical analysis &#8211; my review will instead focus (pun intended!) on my &#8216;real world&#8217; usage of the lens, and will show you some sample photos I&#8217;ve taken with the lens. So, without further ado, let&#8217;s start, shall we?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span id="more-1081"></span>My First Day With The Lens</p>
<p>The photo of the robin, below, was taken on the first day I got my 55 &#8211; 250:</p>
<div id="attachment_299" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 460px"><img class="size-full wp-image-299" title="robin" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/robin.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="300" /><p class="wp-caption-text">ISO 500, 1/250 sec, f/5.6</p></div>
<p style="text-align: left;">Needless to say, I was impressed with my new lens right away &#8211; see the detail of the bird&#8217;s feathers, the sharpness of its feet, and the lovely background blur too. Being able to get such a close-up, detailed shot of the robin, without having to be actually standing right next to it (I was a good few metres away when I took this), is fantastic &#8211; if I&#8217;d got physically nearer, then I would have frightened it away, so my 18 &#8211; 55 kit lens would not have been able to take this shot at all.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">By shooting &#8216;racked out&#8217; (which means using the lens at its longest zoom length &#8211; in this case 250mm), not only did I manage to capture a detailed close-up, but it also helped to produce that extensively blurred background that looks so good. Using longer focal lengths like this is one way of achieving such a background blur &#8211; if you&#8217;re interested, you can find out other ways of <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/04/11/how-to-blur-the-background/">how to blur the background of your photos in the seperate tutorial</a> I did.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pete92009/4738644475/" target="_blank"></a></em></p>
<h3><a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/01/06/canon-ef-s-55-250mm-f4-5-6-review/2/"><em><em>Carry on to part 2: It&#8217;s great for wildlife and candid photography &#8212;&gt;</em></em></a></h3>
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		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
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		<title>LearningTheLight.com&#8217;s Top 10 Popular Content Of 2010</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/12/30/learningthelight-coms-top-10-popular-content-of-2010/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/12/30/learningthelight-coms-top-10-popular-content-of-2010/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:01:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Random Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2010]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[500d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[550d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how to]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photo collections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[top content]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=1070</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The new year is nearly upon us &#8211; doesn&#8217;t it come around quick? Before thinking about 2011, though, I thought it would be interesting to have a look back at LearningTheLight.com&#8217;s first year, and see which articles were the most popular. By looking at my Google Analytics data, I can see which posts on the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The new year is nearly upon us &#8211; doesn&#8217;t it come around quick? Before thinking about 2011, though, I thought it would be interesting to have a look back at LearningTheLight.com&#8217;s first year, and see which articles were the most popular. By looking at my Google Analytics data, I can see which posts on the site had the most visits, and so, without further ado, here are the top 10 most popular articles on LearningTheLight from 2010&#8230;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_584" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/05/03/15-great-photos-shot-with-a-canon-rebel-t2i-550-and-how-they-were-taken/"><img class="size-full wp-image-584 " title="Cat drinking from sink" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Cat-drinking-from-sink.jpg" alt="Cat drinking from sink, low light photo using a 50mm f/1.8 prime, and Canon 550D / t2i" width="500" height="352" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Our collection of photos taken with a Canon T2i / 550D proved the most popular feature</p></div>
<p style="text-align: center;">(Photo above by Dave Dugdale, <a href="http://www.learningdslrvideo.com/">LearningDSLRVideo.com</a>)</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">1. <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/05/03/15-great-photos-shot-with-a-canon-rebel-t2i-550-and-how-they-were-taken/">15 Great Photos Shot With A Canon Rebel T2i / 550D (And How They Were Taken)</a><br />
It seems the T2i is a very popular camera, with lots of visitors interested in seeing photos taken with the camera, along with details on just how each photographer &#8216;got the shot&#8217;. This was easily the most frequented piece of content on the site, with three times as much traffic as the article in number two&#8230;</p>
<p>2. <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/04/27/how-to-take-sharp-photos-in-low-light-without-a-flash/">How To Take Sharp Photos In Low Light Without A Flash</a><br />
The <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/category/photography-tips/how-to/">&#8216;How To&#8230;&#8217; section</a> was the most popular general area of the site, and this guide on how to get sharp photos in lowlight situations, without using that pesky flash, was the most read tutorial.</p>
<p>3. <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/04/11/how-to-blur-the-background/">How To Blur The Background</a><br />
In third place is our guide on how to get that lovely blurred background in your photos &#8211; one of the things that can differentiate an &#8216;alright&#8217;t photo, to one that looks more &#8216;pro-like&#8217;.</p>
<p>4. <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/02/22/500d-vs-550d-comparison-which-one-should-you-buy/">500D vs 550D: Which One Should You Buy?</a><br />
With these 2 Canon cameras proving very popular, many visitors were looking to find out the exact differences between the models &#8211; our comparison helped show just what the &#8216;real world&#8217; differences are.</p>
<p>5. <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/07/19/canon-eos-rebel-t2i-550d-digital-field-guide-review/">Canon EOS Rebel T2i / 550D Digital Field Guide Review</a><br />
Again, the popularity of the Canon T2i (known as the 550D in Europe) shows here, as many owners were looking to find our review of the digital field guide book for this camera (which is a fine book, by the way!).</p>
<p><span id="more-1070"></span></p>
<p>6. <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/03/11/15-gorgeous-dog-photos-and-how-they-were-taken/">15 Gorgeous Dog Photos (And How They Were Taken)</a><br />
As well as helping people see just how some great pet photography was done, a lot of visitors probably just enjoyed the great photos of cute puppies&#8230;!</p>
<p>7. <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/09/28/so-youve-bought-a-digital-slr-what-next/">So You’ve Bought A Digital SLR: What Next?</a><br />
Our article containing tips on &#8216;what next&#8217; for new DSLR owners proved pretty popular &#8211; with nods to great web content, photography books, and potential next lens purchases.</p>
<p>8. <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/07/12/download-free-ipad-photo-book-mirror-mirror/">Download Our Free iPad Photo Book: ‘Mirror, Mirror’</a><br />
Our very own free iPad photobook, which was created with the help of 28 great photographers, comes in as the eighth most popular piece of content. The photobook now graces almost 1000 iPads throughout the world!</p>
<p>9. <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/09/05/how-to-graduate-from-fully-auto-in-2-easy-steps/">How To Graduate From Fully Auto In 2 Easy Steps</a><br />
Our guide on how to start using the more advanced features of your DSLR &#8211; and just how easy it is to do so &#8211; comes in at number nine.</p>
<p>10. <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/07/29/10-fantastic-videos-shot-with-a-canon-t2i-550d/">10 Fantastic Videos Shot With A Canon T2i / 550D</a><br />
Our selection of great videos, all of which were shot with the Canon T2i / 550D, shows that people are not only buying DSLR for &#8216;still&#8217; photography.</p>
<p>Once again, I want to thank everyone for visiting LearningTheLight.com over the past year, leaving comments, <a href="http://twitter.com/learninthelight" target="_blank">following us on twitter</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/LearningTheLight" target="_blank">facebook</a>, and for making it such a joy to keep writing content for &#8211; I hope some of our writings have been useful!</p>
<p>Have a fantastic new year, and I look forward to seeing you all again in 2011&#8230;!</p>
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		<title>How To Photograph Friends and Family This Christmas</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/12/18/how-to-photograph-friends-and-family-this-christmas/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/12/18/how-to-photograph-friends-and-family-this-christmas/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Dec 2010 17:40:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How To...]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photography Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[500d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[550d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[famly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[friends]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how to...]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lowlight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nikon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[portrait]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=1038</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Christmas Day is only a week away, and, if you&#8217;re anything like me, that means you&#8217;ll be seeing lots of family and friends &#8211; the perfect chance to get some lovely photos! Taking better shots of those people closest to me was actually the main reason why I got into photography in the first place [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Christmas Day is only a week away, and, if you&#8217;re anything like me, that means you&#8217;ll be seeing lots of family and friends &#8211; the perfect chance to get some lovely photos! Taking better shots of those people closest to me was actually the main reason why I got into photography in the first place &#8211; so I thought I&#8217;d share some tips and tricks on how to get some photos you&#8217;ll savour for years to come.</p>
<div id="attachment_1039" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 410px"><a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/toys.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1039" title="boys with their toys" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/toys.jpg" alt="toys are enjoyed by all ages at christmas" width="400" height="600" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Toys are enjoyed by all ages at Christmas!</p></div>
<h3>Go For The &#8216;Candid&#8217; Shots</h3>
<p>I&#8217;m not a fan of the group photo stereotype &#8211; we all know the one; a badly-lit, flash-blasted montage of the whole family around the sofa, with 2 out of the 5 people choosing to blink or suffer from the worst case of red-eye-itis. Posed photos just don&#8217;t cut it! So, like in the photo above, where I caught my father- and -brother-in-law playing with their new toys on Christmas Day, try to take natural, &#8216;candid&#8217; shots of your family and friends &#8211; they just look so much better.</p>
<p>Some examples of Christmas-y situations that are great for candid shots include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Opening of the presents (catch your child&#8217;s joy when they unwrap their gift, and then your partner&#8217;s look of dismay as the little one plays only with carboard box).</li>
<li>Playing with the gifts &#8211; both young and old alike!</li>
<li>The preparation and cooking for the Christmas meal &#8211; perhaps you can catch a shot of your Mum downing a glass of sherry or two&#8230;?</li>
<li>The meal itself. Lots of full mouths and action-chewing shots.</li>
<li>The aftermath. Uncle Charlie asleep on the sofa. Your Dad asleep on the sofa. Hmmm, not too much action then &#8211; should be easy to get some sharp photos at least!</li>
<li>And lots more besides&#8230;</li>
</ul>
<p><span id="more-1038"></span></p>
<h3><a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/12/18/how-to-photograph-friends-and-family-this-christmas/2/"><em><em>On to part 2: Using a zoom lens to take natural photos &#8212;&gt;</em></em></a></h3>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>10 Fantastic Videos Shot With A Canon T2i / 550D</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/07/29/10-fantastic-videos-shot-with-a-canon-t2i-550d/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/07/29/10-fantastic-videos-shot-with-a-canon-t2i-550d/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:28:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Random Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[550d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movie mode]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t2i]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=796</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So far on LearningTheLight.com, I&#8217;ve not tended to talk about the video side of DSLRs &#8211; but that&#8217;s about to change. Although many people buy DSLRs for their photographic prowess, more and more are investing because of their fantastic video quality: high-definition, the ability to use all different types of lenses, and great overall quality [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>So far on LearningTheLight.com, I&#8217;ve not tended to talk about the video side of DSLRs &#8211; but that&#8217;s about to change. Although many people buy DSLRs for their photographic prowess, more and more are investing because of their fantastic video quality: high-definition, the ability to use all different types of lenses, and great overall quality mean that our trusted still-memory taker can also be our best-friend movie maker!</p>
<p>One of the more recent cameras that particularly excels with video is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035FZJHQ?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B0035FZJHQ" target="_blank">Canon&#8217;s T2i</a> (known as the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0037KM0F8?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B0037KM0F8" target="_blank">550D</a> in the UK). With full 1080P, 30 frames per second recording capabilites, the video you can take with it is just awesome &#8211; check out these examples, all taken with the T2i:</p>
<p><object width="560" height="340" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Afr6jBIlurE&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="560" height="340" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Afr6jBIlurE&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
<p><object width="560" height="340" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nOjGdvju-po&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="560" height="340" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nOjGdvju-po&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span id="more-796"></span></p>
<p><object width="560" height="340" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fZVI5ohXgfU&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="560" height="340" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fZVI5ohXgfU&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
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<p><object width="560" height="340" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EKSo-nViIQ8&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="560" height="340" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EKSo-nViIQ8&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
<p><object width="560" height="340" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/R2AXjF-wFVo&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="560" height="340" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/R2AXjF-wFVo&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
<p><object width="560" height="340" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c-LQ7MDrSiI&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="560" height="340" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/c-LQ7MDrSiI&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
<p><object width="560" height="340" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lx2VXWDwZX0&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="560" height="340" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lx2VXWDwZX0&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
<p><object width="560" height="340" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/khrtaGfIdMs&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="560" height="340" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/khrtaGfIdMs&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
<p><object width="560" height="340" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/i5R_ZdI5MHE&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="560" height="340" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/i5R_ZdI5MHE&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
<p><center><script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
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<p>// ]]&gt;</script></center>If you&#8217;re interested in the T2i, you may like our <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/05/03/15-great-photos-shot-with-a-canon-rebel-t2i-550-and-how-they-were-taken/">15 Great Photos Taken With The T2i / 550D feature</a>, our <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/02/22/500d-vs-550d-comparison-which-one-should-you-buy/">T2i vs T1i comparison</a>, or even the <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/07/19/canon-eos-rebel-t2i-550d-digital-field-guide-review/">review we did of the T2i digital field guide</a>.</p>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Canon EOS Rebel T2i / 550D Digital Field Guide Review</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/07/19/canon-eos-rebel-t2i-550d-digital-field-guide-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/07/19/canon-eos-rebel-t2i-550d-digital-field-guide-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:00:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Photography Book Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[550d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography book review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photography Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t2i]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=766</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you&#8217;ve just splashed out on the brilliant Canon T2i (knows as the 550D in Europe), then you may be a little bewildered with all the controls and functions your new camera has to offer. If you&#8217;re anything like me, and you devour any reading material to do with photography, then you might want to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you&#8217;ve just splashed out on the brilliant Canon T2i (knows as the 550D in Europe), then you may be a little bewildered with all the controls and functions your new camera has to offer. If you&#8217;re anything like me, and you devour any reading material to do with photography, then you might want to look into getting the Digital Field Guide for the T2i, available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470648635?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0470648635" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0470648635?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=0470648635" target="_blank">UK</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470648635?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0470648635"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-768" title="t2i-550d-igital-field-guide-review" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/t2i-550d-igital-field-guide-review.jpg" alt="T2i 550 Digital Field Guide Review" width="200" height="298" /></a></p>
<h3>What You&#8217;ll Learn</h3>
<p>One of the best things about buying a book made specifically for your camera model, is that everything the book talks about is designed just for you &#8211; there are no &#8216;general&#8217; settings and exposure talk,  instead each feature, such as aperture and shutter speed, is explained according to the T2i&#8217;s buttons and dials.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span id="more-766"></span></p>
<p>Indeed, the first chapter, entitled &#8216;Setting Up the EOS Rebel T2i/550D&#8217;, contains a large diagram showing you your way around the camera, pointing out just where and what everything is. On of the best ways to improve your photography is getting to know just what your camera can do, so this first chapter is vitally important to take in.</p>
<p>Once the basics are out of the way, the rest of the nearly 300 pages include in-depth guides on the following features:</p>
<h4>Controlling Exposure and Focus</h4>
<h4>Getting Great Color</h4>
<h4>Customizing the Rebel T2i / 550D</h4>
<h4>Shooting in Live View and Tethered</h4>
<h4>Using Movie Mode</h4>
<h4>Using Flash</h4>
<h4>Exploring Canon Lenses and Accessories</h4>
<h4>The Elements of Exposure and Composition</h4>
<h4>Event and Action Photography</h4>
<h4>Nature and Landscape Photography</h4>
<h4>Portrait Photography</h4>
<h4>Exploring RAW Capture</h4>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="560" height="340" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cJQX314LkfE&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="340" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cJQX314LkfE&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p><em>View the video above for a small introduction to the book, as well as an example tutorial for &#8216;Auto Exposure Bracketing&#8217;, a feature that is explained in more depth within the book.</em></p>
<h3>Will It Make Me A Better Photographer?</h3>
<p>Well, although it doesn&#8217;t come with an Ansel Adams guarantee, I can safely say that, if you own a T2i, buying this book will definitely enable you to take better photos. It&#8217;s not just the amount of specific T2i / 550D tips and tricks covered in the book, it&#8217;s also the excellent information on all aspects of photography &#8211; such as exposure, composition, flash, night photography and more &#8211; that will definitely help you advance your photographic knowledge, and thus your shots.</p>
<p>You can <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470648635?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0470648635" target="_blank">buy the T2i / 550D Digital Field guide at Amazon US</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0470648635?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=0470648635" target="_blank">UK</a>.</p>
<p>Seeing as you&#8217;re interested in the T2i, you may also like a feature I did called <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/05/03/15-great-photos-shot-with-a-canon-rebel-t2i-550-and-how-they-were-taken/">&#8217;15 Great Photos Shot With A Canon Rebel T2i / 550D (And How They Were Taken)&#8217;</a>.<br />
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>15 Great Photos Shot With A Canon Rebel T2i / 550D (And How They Were Taken)</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/05/03/15-great-photos-shot-with-a-canon-rebel-t2i-550-and-how-they-were-taken/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/05/03/15-great-photos-shot-with-a-canon-rebel-t2i-550-and-how-they-were-taken/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 May 2010 15:37:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Great Photo Collections (And How They Were Taken)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[550d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[low light]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t2i]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=557</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Canon have surely created a winner with the Rebel T2i (known as the 550D in Europe). Building on the already fantastic performance of the 500D, the new model has received great reviews around the &#8216;net, and will no-doubt be in the minds of a lot of prospective DSLR owners. So, with that in mind, I [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Canon have surely created a winner with the Rebel T2i (known as the 550D in Europe). Building on the already fantastic performance of the 500D, the new model has received great reviews around the &#8216;net, and will no-doubt be in the minds of a lot of prospective DSLR owners.</p>
<p>So, with that in mind, I thought I&#8217;d feature some great photos that have all been taken with the T2i / 550D, along with a short tutorial on how they were taken.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<div id="attachment_593" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 343px"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulhudson/4520802129/"><img class="size-full wp-image-593" title="The Dark Side" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/The-Dark-Side.jpg" alt="Self portrait of 550D / T2i and photographer" width="333" height="500" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">&#39;The Dark Side&#39;</p></div>
<p style="text-align: center;">By <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulhudson/4520802129/" target="_blank">Paul Hudson</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">An apt way to kick-off this 550D / T2i collection is with a great self-portrait. A large aperture of f/5 means the photographer himself is a bit blurry, drawing our attention to the sharp camera &#8211; the true subject of the photo.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<div id="attachment_594" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 343px"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwatson/4561848787/"><img class="size-full wp-image-594" title="Pittsburgh Watson Street" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Pittsburgh-Watson-Street.jpg" alt="Street scene, shot with Canon Rebel T2i / 550D" width="333" height="500" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">&#39;Pittsburgh: Watson Street&#39;</p></div>
<p style="text-align: center;">By <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwatson/4561848787/" target="_blank">David Watson</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The range of colours taken in this shot are just gorgeous, and it works to keep your eye moving across the shot, from one colour to the next. As virtually everything in the shot is the same distance away from the camera, the choice of aperture (in this case, f/5.6) does not really matter, as a large or small aperture would still keep the majority of the photo in focus. Composition, and the great skill of the photographer to &#8216;see&#8217; that this would make such a good photo, is more important than the technicalities of the shot in this instance.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span id="more-557"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<div id="attachment_578" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tmsthenameless/4467442349/"><img class="size-full wp-image-578" title="Rita La Bam" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Rita-La-Bam.jpg" alt="Rita La Bam, kissing couple, taken with 550D / T2i" width="500" height="446" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">&#39;Rita La Bam&#39;</p></div>
<p style="text-align: center;">By <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tmsthenameless/4467442349/">The Nameless</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This is a great composition, with a kind of &#8216;X&#8217; shape created by the kissing couple and the streetlights. A wide aperture of f/2.5 has created a lovely blurred background, and this wide aperture, combined with a relatively high ISO of 800, meant the shot could be taken without flash and still be sharp.</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/05/03/15-great-photos-shot-with-a-canon-rebel-t2i-550-and-how-they-were-taken/2"><em><em>Carry on to part 2 to for more great T2i / 550D shots &#8212;&gt;</em></em></a></h3>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>26</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How To Take Sharp Photos In Low Light Without A Flash</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/04/27/how-to-take-sharp-photos-in-low-light-without-a-flash/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/04/27/how-to-take-sharp-photos-in-low-light-without-a-flash/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Apr 2010 07:01:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How To...]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[500d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[550d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aperture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[burst mode]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EF 50mm f/1.8]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gregor and the martians]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iso]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[low light]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photography Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sharp photos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t1i]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t2i]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tutorial]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=508</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you’re anything like me, then one of the reasons you’re interested in photography – and why you shelled out on a nice camera – is to take some lovely shots of your family and friends. And, most of the time, I find that these photographic opportunities occur inside, where the light is low. Sure, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you’re anything like me, then one of the reasons you’re interested in photography – and why you shelled out on a nice camera – is to take some lovely shots of your family and friends. And, most of the time, I find that these photographic opportunities occur inside, where the light is low. Sure, there are the occasional barbeques outside, and holidays in the sun, but for the most part, I find I’m taking photos of my loved ones indoors.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-510" title="sharp-photo-in-lowlight-wit" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/sharp-photo-in-lowlight-wit.jpg" alt="Sharp photo in lowlight without a flash" width="530" height="383" /></p>
<p>And do we want to use our flash? Of course we don’t! As Scott Kelby says, and I’m paraphrasing here, “If you have a worst enemy, make sure you take a photo of them with your flash’. Shots taken with our little pop-up flashes look dreadful – either washed out, too dark, and always flat and just <em>ugly</em> looking. (By the way, you can check out my <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/04/06/the-digital-photography-book-scott-kelby-review-volume-1/" target="_blank"><em>digital photography book review</em></a>, a fantastic book written by Scott Kelby, if you like).</p>
<p>So, what can we do to take great photos indoors – where the light levels are often less than ideal – without using a tripod (as families and friends don’t stay still all the time, unfortunately!), and all this without using our flash?</p>
<p>The good news is that there are quite a few things we can do to attain this, including the use of <em>Aperture</em>, <em>ISO</em>, <em>Burst Mode</em> and more</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span id="more-508"></span></p>
<h3>1. Set Your Aperture To Its Widest Setting (Lowest F-number)</h3>
<h3><strong><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-518" title="av-mode" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/av-mode1.jpg" alt="Aperture priority mode - 'AV' on Canon cameras" width="203" height="148" /></strong></h3>
<p>If you have a DSLR, or even a compact that has some manual settings, then you will be able to control your camera’s <em>aperture </em>(‘AV’ mode on Canon cameras, or &#8216;A&#8217; if you&#8217;re a Nikon user). This is simply telling the camera how much light to allow in at a time – and so the bigger the amount of light that is coming into your lens, the quicker your shutter speed will be, and thus the sharper your photos.</p>
<p>We want to set our aperture to its widest setting, so that the most light available is entering our lens. This means choosing the <em>lowest f-number possible</em>, and how low you can go depends on what lens you are using – for example, if you are using the 18 – 55mm kit lens that comes with virtually all Canon cameras, then the lowest you can go would be f/3.5. Other lenses may be able to go down to even lower f-numbers, such as f/1.8.</p>
<div id="attachment_516" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 410px"><img class="size-full wp-image-516" title="another-lowlight-but-sharp-" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/another-lowlight-but-sharp-.jpg" alt="A sharp photo taken in low light conditions" width="400" height="492" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Taken with a wide aperture of f/1.8</p></div>
<p>Depending on the amount of light you’re shooting in, and your other camera settings (such as ISO, which we’ll be talking about next) you may now be able to get some sharp, low light photos. Take a shot and check that you’re getting a shutter speed of at least 1/60 sec, and preferably even higher (such as 1/100 sec).</p>
<p>When you review your photo on the LCD screen, remember to zoom in to check if it really is sharp, as virtually every photo will look good on a 2” LCD if you don’t zoom in to examine the detail!</p>
<p>If your photo is still not sharp enough (i.e. you’re not getting quick-enough shutter speeds) then you’ll also need to adjust your ISO setting – see below for how to do that.</p>
<h3>2. Raise Your ISO Setting</h3>
<h3><strong><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-520" title="iso" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/iso.jpg" alt="ISO" width="230" height="145" /></strong></h3>
<p>Your camera’s ISO setting is simply telling the camera how sensitive you want it to be to light – the higher the ISO, the more sensitive it will be. Now, as we want to take sharp photos when there is little available light, then we’ll be wanting to make our camera more sensitive to obtain those quicker shutter speeds, and so we raise our ISO – simple!</p>
<p>So, try taking a photo with your camera’s ISO setting at 800. If the resulting photo’s still not sharp enough, raise the ISO to 1600, and – if you need even more sensitivity – try ISO 3200 if your camera can go to that.</p>
<p>By the way, if you’ve read more articles and books about photography, then you’ll no doubt have seen it written a bazillion times how we must always ‘use the lowest ISO available’, as otherwise the quality of our shots will deteriorate. Although this is true to an extent, as, in theory, raising the ISO produces more ‘digital noise’ (equivalent to <em>grain</em>) in our shots, I would say don’t worry about this for 3 good reasons:</p>
<p><strong>1. </strong>The performance of modern DSLR cameras at high ISOs are pretty amazing these days, where you can often use an ISO of 1600 – 3200 without seeing much, if any, deterioration.</p>
<p><strong>2.</strong> Most of the photos we’ll generally be taking will be viewed on our computer screens, or perhaps printed to relatively small 7 x 5” prints – at these sizes digital noise is much less noticeable than if we were pumping out wall-sized posters.</p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> What’s more important to you? You can either capture some lovely sharp photos of your friends and family – which will be memories forever &#8211; , or you can just sit there and not take a photo at all, because you would have to ‘raise your ISO’ which we’re always told we shouldn’t do. I know what’s more important to me!</p>
<p><strong><strong><img class="size-full wp-image-527 aligncenter" title="high-iso-cat" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/high-iso-cat.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="520" /></strong></strong></p>
<div class="mceTemp mceIEcenter">
<dl id="attachment_527" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 410px;">
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">ISO 1600, f/1.8, 80/sec</dd>
</dl>
</div>
<p>I took the above shot in a really lowlight situation, and even with such a wide aperture (low f-number) of f/1.8, I still wasn’t getting a fast enough shutter speed to get a sharp photo at my camera’s current ISO 400 setting. Experimenting at ISO 800 still didn’t get my shutter speed quick enough, so I raised it again to ISO 1600, et voila! A sharp photo, and not an ounce of ‘digital noise’ to be seen!</p>
<p>But what if raising your ISO and using your widest aperture still isn’t working for you? Well, you might want to look into buying a new lens, one that has a wider aperture than the one you’re currently using:</p>
<h3>3. Buy A Lens With A Very Wide Maximum Aperture</h3>
<p>When using your widest aperture and highest ISO still doesn’t produce those sharp lowlight photos, then you may need to get a new lens  &#8211; one with a maximum aperture of f/1.8 or even wider (lower f-number). This will really help you to get those sharper shots, because you’ll be letting in so much more light at a time.</p>
<div id="attachment_68" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 166px"><a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/05/11/canon-50mm-f1-8-ii-review/"><img class="size-full wp-image-68" title="50mm1.8" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/50mm1.8.jpg" alt="Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Prime Lens" width="156" height="160" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 - Wide aperture; great value. Click for my review.</p></div>
<p>The good news is that getting a lens like this needn’t be expensive; I use the absolutely fantastic <a title="Canon 50mm f/1.8 II Review" href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/05/11/canon-50mm-f1-8-ii-review/">Canon 50mm f/1.8, which I did a review of over here</a> &#8211; it only cost me about £90 from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00005K47X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B00005K47X" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> (you can get it for around $99 on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00007E7JU?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B00007E7JU" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> too).</p>
<p>See the below example of a shot I took of a local band, using this Canon 50mm f/1.8:</p>
<p><strong><strong><img class="size-full wp-image-263 aligncenter" title="IMG_3641" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/IMG_36411.jpg" alt="Gregor and the martians" width="550" height="414" /></strong></strong></p>
<div class="mceTemp mceIEcenter">
<dl id="attachment_263" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 560px;">
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">f/1.8, 1/100 sec, ISO 1600</dd>
</dl>
</div>
<p>Now, gig photography is an extremely lowlight situation, and there is no way that I could have got such a sharp shot with any of my other lenses – their maximum apertures are just not wide enough, so even with my high ISO of 1600 the photos would have been a blur. But with the Canon 50mm f/1.8 I was able to use a really wide aperture, getting lots of light into my camera at a time, and thus get those fast shutter speeds to get a sharp shot.</p>
<p><em>By the way, the band is called <a href="http://www.myspace.com/gregorandthemartians" target="_blank">Gregor and The Martians</a>, and one of my shots was actually <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/03/17/my-first-photo-in-the-paper/" target="_blank">used in the local newspaper</a> which made me smile!)</em></p>
<p>Following those top three tips should get you sharp shots without that dreaded pop-up flash or tripod. But there are a couple of more things that can help as well&#8230;</p>
<h3>4. Shoot in ‘Burst’ Mode (Also called ‘Continuous Shooting&#8217;)</h3>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-538" title="continuous-shooting" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/continuous-shooting.jpg" alt="continuous shooting mode" width="127" height="127" />Another way you can increase the chance of getting a sharp shot is to use your camera’s ‘burst’ shooting mode (this could be called ‘Burst’ on your camera, or perhaps ‘Continuous Shooting&#8217; like on the Canon T2i) to take multiple photos a second. This works like this:</p>
<p>When you normally take a shot in ‘one shot’ mode, taking one photo at a time, when you press the shutter button you’re actually introducing a small vibration into the photographic process as you’re physically depressing the button.</p>
<p>So, if you use ‘burst’ mode, and press the shutter, the vibration that is brought about by you pressing the button will only really affect the first photo of the 3 (or more) photos you’ll take – meaning every photo except the first of the series should be that little bit sharper.</p>
<p><strong><strong><img class="size-full wp-image-542 aligncenter" title="burst-mode-friends" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/burst-mode-friends.jpg" alt="Using continuous shooting to get a sharp shot" width="530" height="378" /></strong></strong></p>
<div class="mceTemp mceIEcenter">
<dl id="attachment_542" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 540px;">
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">Using &#8216;continuous shooting&#8217; to get a sharp shot</dd>
</dl>
</div>
<p>Taking more photos at a time also increases the chance that your subject will be moving less for at least one of the shots too – in the example above my friends were pulling some funny faces, so I shot a lot of frames per second, increasing my chance of getting this sharp one.</p>
<h3>5. Turn Up The Lights!</h3>
<p><strong><strong><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewpaulcarr/288909724/"><img class="size-full wp-image-543 aligncenter" title="lightbulbs" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/lightbulbs.jpg" alt="Lightbulbs - turn up the lights to get a sharper shot" width="240" height="180" /></a></strong></strong></p>
<div class="mceTemp mceIEcenter">
<dl id="attachment_543" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 250px;">
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">&#8216;Lightbulbs&#8217; on Flickr, by Andrewpaulcarr</dd>
</dl>
</div>
<p>Yes, this my seem like a no-brainer, but it’s actually one I have been guilty of forgetting myself – if the light is really too low to get those fast shutter speeds we’re after, just turn on some more lights!</p>
<p>Of course, you may be in a situation where there just aren’t any more lights to turn on, but, a lot of the time, there’ll be a light switch you can flip at the other end of the room, or a table lamp, or even a fire you can start – yes, any extra light source will help!</p>
<p>Talking of helping, I hope this little ‘How To&#8230;’ has helped you a little. If it has, why not <a href="http://twitter.com/learninthelight" target="_blank">follow me on twitter</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/learningthelight">join us on Facebook</a>?</p>
<p>You may also like my ‘<a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/04/11/how-to-blur-the-background/" target="_self">How To Blur The Background</a>’ guide too.</p>
<p>By the way, I took all the photos above (except the lightbulbs and product shots) with my Canon T1i, which is available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001XURPQS?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B001XURPQS" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0020MLKF0?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=B0020MLKF0" target="_blank">UK</a>(where it’s known as the 500D). Yes, it may have already been superceded by the T2i / 550D, but it’s still a mighty fine DSLR!</p>
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		<title>The Perils Of Photography Via Google Search</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/04/19/the-perils-of-photography-via-google-search/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/04/19/the-perils-of-photography-via-google-search/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:45:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Random Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[500d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[550d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photography Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t1i]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t2i]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=501</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Google have released a really nifty new tool, called Search Stories &#8211; where you can create your very own video to tell a story via Google search. It&#8217;s really quick and easy to do &#8211; see the one I knocked up in about 5 mins below, entitled &#8216;Photography Perils&#8217;: What do you think? Pretty fun, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;">Google have released a really nifty new tool, called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/searchstories" target="_blank">Search Stories</a> &#8211; where you can create your very own video to tell a story via Google search. It&#8217;s really quick and easy to do &#8211; see the one I knocked up in about 5 mins below, entitled &#8216;Photography Perils&#8217;:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><object width="468" height="379" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aqZRyC3k5Sw&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="468" height="379" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aqZRyC3k5Sw&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">What do you think? Pretty fun, huh? Why not try <a href="http://www.youtube.com/searchstories" target="_blank">making your own video</a> &#8211; if it&#8217;s photography-related, and you let me know of its existence (you can <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact me through the site</a>, or <a href="http://twitter.com/learninthelight" target="_blank">follow me on twitter</a>) I may feature it on the site sometime.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Go on, you know you want to!</p>
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		<title>500D vs 550D: Which One Should You Buy?</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/02/22/500d-vs-550d-comparison-which-one-should-you-buy/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/02/22/500d-vs-550d-comparison-which-one-should-you-buy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:48:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gear Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[500d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[550d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[comparison]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t1i]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t2i]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=80</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With Canon&#8217;s new 550D now unleashed (available at Amazon UK via this link or Amazon US here, where it&#8217;s knows as the T2i) I thought I&#8217;d do a &#8216;real world&#8217; comparison of how this new model compares to the existing 500D, which I have. This will be a &#8216;real world&#8217; comparison in the sense that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/500dvs550d.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-81 aligncenter" title="500dvs550d" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/500dvs550d.jpg" alt="500d vs 550d comparison" width="277" height="157" /></a>With Canon&#8217;s new 550D now unleashed (available <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0037KM0F8?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B0037KM0F8" target="_blank">at Amazon UK via this link</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035FZJHQ?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B0035FZJHQ" target="_blank">Amazon US here</a>, where it&#8217;s knows as the T2i) I thought I&#8217;d do a &#8216;real world&#8217; comparison of how this new model compares to the existing 500D, which I have. This will be a &#8216;real world&#8217; comparison in the sense that I won&#8217;t just be listing the various features of the cameras; instead I&#8217;ll be talking about what each difference means to us, as photographers, and what it will mean for our photographs.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">All the comparisons are based on the information from Canon, and my own thoughts/analysis on how the camera will thus differ from the 500D (known as the T1i &#8216;over the pond&#8217;) &#8211; and, more importantly, what this will mean for our photos and videos.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Resolution</h3>
<h4>Comparison:</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">The new 550D (known as the T2i in the US market) sports a class-leading max resolution of 18MP, which is around 20% higher than on the 500D (T1i). That’ll mean photos as large as 5184 x 3456, compared to the 500D’s max of 4752 x 3168.</p>
<h4>What will that mean for my photos?</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">Well, although the increase in Megapixels looks good on paper, and is an obvious selling point, it doesn’t actually mean your photos are going to look that much – if at all – better. In theory it means you will be able to record more detail, and print out larger prints – but you would only need this extra resolution if you were printing larger than A2! If you never print larger than A3 (have you ever printed larger than that?) then you wouldn’t notice a difference.</p>
<p>However, one plus point for the extra resolution is that it means you can crop more of a picture whilst still retaining a lot of quality – handy when you can’t compose the best possible shot at the time, so you can crop and make a great composition at home.</p>
<p><span id="more-80"></span></p>
<p>In the real world, though, and if you’re not a professional photographer wanting to produce wall-sized prints, then this extra resolution is definitely not a reason to go for the 550D over the 500D.</p>
<h4>‘Real World’ Winner:</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">It’s a draw, as both cameras offer more than enough megapixels to produce fantastically detailed and large prints, even when cropped.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Video Mode</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<h4>Comparison:</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">The new 550D can record Full-HD videos – 1080p at 30 frames a second. The 500D can also record video at the same resolution, but at a lower rate of 20 frames a second. Both cameras also support video recording at lower resolutions. The 550D has an external microphone socket, which is not found on the older model.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">See below for a little video showcasing the video modes on the 550D and 500D (with a bit of 7D thrown in too!)</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="560" height="340" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mJQ5rCqVswA&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="340" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mJQ5rCqVswA&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1&amp;" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<h4>What will that mean for my videos?</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">If you like taking lots of Full-HD video (and why wouldn’t you, 1080p vids look spectacular) then the higher frame rate of 30fps on the 550D is for you. Action videos on the 500D can look a bit jerky due to its lower frame rate, so this boost to 30 fps is a really welcome feature.</p>
<p>Both cameras have an onboard mono microphone for recording the sound for your movies, but the 550D also has an external microphone slot, enabling the truly serious videographer to plug in a much better mic for stereo sound.</p>
<h4>‘Real World’ Winner:</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">For people getting either camera mainly for still-photo use, and for the occasional video, then the higher frame on the 550D is not an issue. But for those taking lots of video, and especially video of action, then the smoother frame rate is a definite plus of the newer model – the 550D wins here.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">LCD Screen</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<h4>Comparison:</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">The 550D’s LCD screen is a wider format than the 500D’s (3:2 compared to 4:3), and offers a slightly higher resolution (1,040,000 vs 920,000).</p>
<h4>What will that mean for my photos?</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">As both cameras actually take photos in a 3:2 format, then the matching 3:2 size LCD on the 550D means the whole screen can be used to view your photos (and compose the picture if using LiveView). The 500D’s 4:3 format means that the whole of the screen isn’t used when viewing your taken photos – there will be little black bars either side.</p>
<p>This, combined with the higher resolution, means your photos will be a joy to behold, and have the practical advantage of it being a little easier to check they have pin-sharp focus.</p>
<h4>‘Real World’ Winner:</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">Another draw – the change in format and slight increase in resolution is not a reason to go for the more expensive model. Photos already look fantastic on the 500D’s screen – an everyday user is not going to notice much of a difference at all.</p>
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<p>A short video of the 550D</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Sensitivity/ISO</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<h4>Comparison:</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">Both cameras have an ISO range from 100 – 12800. 6400 and 12800 are available in the ‘expanded’ range on the older model, whereas 6400 is included in the ‘normal’ range on the 550D (only 12800 is in the ‘expanded’ range). The 550D also has adjustable Auto-ISO settings.</p>
<h4>What will that mean for my photos?</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">Both cameras will take great photos in real low light, with little noise (‘grain’) apparent in the images. The fact that ISO 6400 is now in the ‘normal’ range on the 550D should also mean that it has better performance than the same ISO on the older model – so this means you’ll be able to take photos in low-light with quick shutter speeds – vital for taking non-flash indoor photography, for example.</p>
<p>The other selling point, adjustable Auto-ISO, means that you’ll be able to tell the 550D never to go higher than, for example, ISO 800 when shooting in Auto ISO. On the older model, there are times when you could be shooting in Auto ISO and the camera would choose a really too high ISO – say, 3200 – to get what it deems as an acceptable shutter speed. This can result in images that could have been perfectly fine using a lower ISO, and thus have an overall better image quality. Now you can set an ISO threshold so you know the camera will never go to those higher ISOs unless you want it to.</p>
<h4>‘Real World’ Winner:</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">The 550D takes the crown on this one, especially if you’ll be shooting with ISO set to Auto most of the time – the ability to set a max ISO means you’ll never be shocked by an incredibly high ISO again!</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Action Photos / High Speed Continuous</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<h4>Comparison:</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">The 550D can take more shots in a second – 3.7 compared to the 500D’s 3.4. On the other hand, the newer camera has a smaller image buffer of 34 JPEG/6 RAW, compared to the 500D’s 170 JPEG/ 9 RAW.</p>
<h4>What will that mean for my photos?</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">Both cameras will enable you to take lots of photos really quickly, enabling you to hold the shutter down and take nearly 4 photos a second – perfect for getting that amazing action shot.</p>
<p>Although the 550D has a slightly higher rate, you would be hard pushed to notice any difference between the two models’ performance – the slight increase in 0.3 photos in a second is just not going to make any difference. If we were comparing 3.4 fps to an 8 fps model, which obviously takes more than twice the amount of photos in the same timescale, then that would definitely increase your chances of getting the perfect shot – but the small difference between the 550D and 550D is not worth the upgrade at all.</p>
<p>Likewise, one of the only on-paper ‘cons’ of the newer model, the smaller buffer size (which means the amount of photos the camera can keep in its memory before slowing down operations by having to write to the memory card) is not going to be noticeable – who takes more than 34 continuous photos anyway&#8230;?!?</p>
<h4>‘Real World’ Winner:</h4>
<p>A definite draw – the slight increase in frame rate on the 550D is not going to be noticed in the real world at all, and, likewise, its smaller buffer will go unnoticed too.</p>
<div id="attachment_115" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 460px"><a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/dogs.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-115" title="dogs" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/dogs.jpg" alt="Dogs playing in snow" width="450" height="282" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">An action shot I took with my 500D</p></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Storage / Memory Cards</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<h4>Comparison:</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">Both cameras accept SD and SDHC memory cards. The 550D can also use the new SDXC format.</p>
<h4>What will that mean for my photos and videos?</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">It means you’ll be able to take lots of photos before your memory card filling up, especially if you’re using an 8GB card or higher. For people who want to take a truly mammoth amount of photos and videos (I’m talking to you, Mr Spielberg wannabe!) then the new 550D supports SDXC cards, which can go up to a massive 2 TB – that’s 2000GB of storage!</p>
<p>In the real world, though, this is not an advantage at all – for instance, I use a 16GB SDHC card on my 500D, and can take days and days worth of photos and videos, on the highest quality settings, and still never come close to filling it – I can’t see why anyone would ever want more than 16GB on a card. I’d actually say it’s more dangerous to rely on one huge memory card anyway – if I was going travelling for a month, for instance, I would take a few 16 GB cards, and if one of those cards ‘failed’ then at least I’d have my other 2 to shoot with. If I’d just taken 1 200GB SDXC card, and that ‘failed’ on me, then I wouldn’t have anything else to shoot with, and thus no more ‘memories’ of my trip&#8230;</p>
<h4>‘Real World’ Winner:</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">Another draw – the extra storage offered on the new SDXC cards, that only the newer camera accepts, is not needed at all.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Conclusion</span></h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">In short, both of these are fantastic cameras, that will enable you to take professional quality photos and video.</p>
<p>If price is of absolutely no concern to you, or you want the camera as much for video as you do for photos, then I would definitely go for the newer 550D – the 1080p frame rate of 30fps compared to the 500D’s 20fps, and external mic support, makes the 550D a truly great video tool.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if you’re on a smaller budget, or just won’t be using the video mode all that much (and, hey, the older 500D still has 1080p video!) then I would definitely go for the 500D, as the 550D will not take noticeably better photos at all.</p>
<h4>You can buy both cameras at Amazon:</h4>
<p>If you&#8217;re in the UK you can get the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0037KM0F8?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B0037KM0F8" target="_blank">new 550D via this link</a>, and the older <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0020MLKF0?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B0020MLKF0" target="_blank">500D here</a>.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re US based, the new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035FZJHQ?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B0035FZJHQ">550D (known as the T2i) can be ordered here</a>, and the older <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001XURPQS?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B001XURPQS">500D (known as the T1i) here</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Thanks for reading, and <a href="http://twitter.com/learninthelight" target="_blank">follow me on twitter</a> if you like!</p>
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